Tuesday, October 20, 2009

KFC Corporation, or KFC, founded and also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky. KFC is a brand and operating segment, called a "concept" of Yum! Brands since 1997 when that company was spun off from PepsiCo.

KFC primarily sells chicken in form of pieces, wraps, salads and sandwiches. While its primary focus is fried chicken, KFC also offers a line of roasted chicken products, side dishes and desserts.

The marketing mix is generally accepted as the use and specification of the 'fourPs' describing the strategic position of a product in the marketplace.

Product

Price

Place

Promotion

Product

Anything that can be offered to a market to satisfy a want or need. KFC's specialty is fried chicken served in various forms. KFC's primary product is pressure-friedpieces of chicken made with the original recipe. The other chicken offering, extra crispy, is made using a garlic marinade and double dipping the chicken in flour before deep frying in a standard industrial kitchen type machine.

Geographic segmentation :KFC has outlets internationally and sells its products according to geographic needsof the customer. In India KFC focuses how geographically its customers demand different products. In north India Chicken is the main selling product, while in thesouth the Veg. items sell more than the chicken.

Demographic Segmentation :In demographic segmentation, the market is divided into groups based on an age, gender, family size, income, occupation, religion, race and nationality. KFC divides the market on demographic basis in this way:• Age is between 6-65.• Gender is both males and females.• Family size is 1-2, 3-4, 5+• Income is Rs 10,000 n above.

Psychographic segmentation :Dividing a market into different groups based on social class, lifestyle, or personality characteristics is called psychographic segmentation. KFC divides market on the basis of psychographic variables like • Social class- Upper and Middle class.• Lifestyle is not specific.• Personality is ambitious and authoritarian

TARGET MARKET“The process of evaluating each market segment’s attractiveness and selecting two or more segments”

As the outlets of KFC are in posh area and prices are too high (overhead expenses-rent, airconditioning, employees), so KFC targets upper and middle classes. Target market depends upon size and growth rate of population, Company resources and structural.

Market Positioning• For a product to occupy a clear, distinctive and desirable place relative to “Competing products in the minds of target consumer.”

• In KFC feedback is taken from the customer in order to know the customer demands and then improvements are made in products. KFC focuses on pure and fresh food in order to create a distinct and clear position in the minds of customers KFC has a strong brand name and they are leading the market in fried chicken.

Price

• Price is the any amount of money that customers have to pay while purchasing the product. More broadly, price is the sum of all the values that consumers exchange for benefits of having or using the product or services.

Demographic factors• Age: Generally there is no age limit focus by the KFC. The target and focus is on each and every individual in a society. KFC finds its largest demographic in the young of any society.

• Gender: Both male and females are focused by KFC, gender does not play any role here.

• Household Size: This plays a vital role in the demographic factor of the KFC.

Economic Factors• Income: Income is an important key factor for KFC. This factor decides which class is to be targeted. In the early rise of KFC they focused on the upper class but slowly are introducing economy meals that attract the lower to middle classes.• Consumption Behavior: It estimates the behavior of people, their liking and disliking towards.

Pricing Strategy• Market skimming: KFC globally enters the market using market skimming. Their products are priced high and target the middle to upper class people. Graduallythey trickle down the prices focusing on the middle to lower class people to penetrate both sides of the market.

Competition• We can compare the price of their products with McDonald, Dominoes and Pizza Hut. If the competitor provides the same product at a lower price then the organization usually lowers the price of its product too. In the case of KFC, Fried Chicken is itsmain selling point and controls a monopoly over the Indian fast food market (only with fried chicken). It prices its burgers, French fries and soft.Cost Based• KFC price their product keeping different points in view. They adopt the cost base price strategy. Pricing of the product includes the govt. tax and excise duty and then comes the final stage of determine the price of their product. Theproducts are bit high priced according the market segment and it is also comparable to the standard of their product. In the cost based method we include the variable and fixed cost.

Place

• TARGET AREAS• “Free home Delivery” strategy – They provide free home delivery to offices & homes (select countries).• Accessibility – Resulting in several outlets to cater to the needs of people in & around the city.• Hectic lifestyle – Due to the hectic lifestyle of office goings individuals the fast food concept saves time of preparing food and gives the customer a full meal quickly.• Economically convenient – The pricing

TARGET MARKET1. Location– Hectic lifestyle of individuals – giving them more time at work and less stress about waiting for food.– Commercialization of urban and sub-urban markets leading to more mid-sector people that find high-end eating joints very to expensive.– Mid-sector people are always looking for change which KFC provides in their range of fast food.– Quality conscious – people in urban areas are more conscious about the quality of food than rural areas.– Urban areas are more populated therefore they help with attracting higher revenues.

Target Market2. Placement of outlets– Due to KFC placing itself close to schools, colleges, cinemas and markets which are mostly populated by the young and those who are in a hurry, KFC enjoys a large number of footfalls everyday. In addition, they also have outlets close to non- egetarians (mostly Muslim populated areas).

STRATEGY• Given the competitive nature of fast food joints, KFC uses the “Push Strategy” to help them create:–Awareness–Be different–Sound attractive

CHANNELS• KFC believes in first level channels in the order given below:– Manufacturers– Retailers– Consumers

CHANNEL PROCESSKFC works on the flow of good operation techniques i.e. “Good Operating Manager→ leads to “Good Team Selection →Good Services → Good Targets → Good Revenues through the following internal strategies:• Training• Incentive based targets• Recognition for good work• Performance based bonus• Employee benefits to keep them motivated• Promotion

Promotion

Promotion is the method used to inform and educate the chosen target audience about the organization and its products. Using all the resources of promotion:• Advertising• Sales Promotion• Public Relations• Events and Experiences• Coupons, Discounts and Bundled packages• An organization finds most of its meanings and survival through promotion.

At KFC, Promotion is the main tool to bring all chicken lovers attention towards its delicious one-of-a-kind.

AdvertisingThe logo of the smiling Colonel is probably one of the most recognized faces in the world and instantly brings the image of fried chicken to one’s mind.

• KFC and its new company jingle, “finger lcikin good” is a frequent announcement on televisions, billboards, flyers and radio. The concept of showing a normal customer deeply involved in devouring his piece of chicken usually turns on the drool factory in everybody’s mouth and makes them rush to the nearest KFC. In India where chicken lovers are plenty abound these ads featuring normal people connect instantly.

• Using Reminder advertisements KFC stimulates repeat purchases of its products. The company anthem “finger linkin good” is just a wake up call to the consumer to remind them how good they felt the last time they ate KFC chicken.

• Sponsorship is another tool to strengthen an organizations image. KFC is currently the sponsor of the Australian Cricket Team and the colonel logo can be seen on their uniforms throughout the matches.

Sales Promotion• KFC uses the following tools to further enhance its sales.• Premiums• Exhibits• Coupons• Entertainment

Sales Promotion• All KFC outlets offer its customers with various forms of incentives to buy its Chicken. Using coupons that one can acquire after spending a particular amount overa period of fixed time, customers can enjoy the benefits of free meals or free add-ons. Additionally they provide meal vouchers and exciting offers in their print ads,which the customer must cut and bring along.